1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a travel tissue holder, and more particularly, to a travel tissue holder/dispenser adapted for use with a cup holder storage assembly commonly found in many vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Dry facial tissues such as those typically sold under the brand name KLEENEX and referred to herein as "facial tissues", as distinguished from wet tissues or wipes also known as towelettes, are often needed for a variety of reasons and purposes while traveling in a car, truck, minivan and the like. In order for consumers to have access to dry tissues while driving in a vehicle, consumers must typically purchase a large cumbersome box or other similarly shaped and sized dispenser. Such tissue boxes are designed for placement on flat stationary surfaces such as counter tops and tables, and are not properly designed for safe, convenient, and readily accessible use in most moving vehicles.
Typically, these cumbersome tissue boxes slide along the seat or dashboard, and usually end up either rolling on the floor behind the driver's seat, or on the floor in the front interior passenger compartment. A potentially dangerous scenario can occur when such tissue boxes end up on the driver's side floor, thereby potentially interfering with the driver's ability to safely handle the vehicle. Since bulky and cumbersome tissue boxes are not easily stored and readily accessible to drivers in most cars, vans or trucks, any location where they are kept can be a potentially dangerous or hazardous situation.
An alternative to the currently available tissue boxes are the small plastic "travel or pocket size" tissue dispensers/holders. Such travel size tissue dispensers typically contain too few tissues that are also usually too small in size. Even "travel size" tissue holders can be inaccessible when they are stuffed in a hard to reach pocket, purse, glove box, stuck between seats or seat cushions, or located in other difficult to reach positions such as beneath or behind a car seat. Furthermore, "travel size" tissue dispensers can also suffer from the same disadvantages of the larger more cumbersome boxes, such as sliding around the interior passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Hence, there is presently a strong felt need for a travel facial (dry) tissue dispenser/holder for use in vehicles that provides a sufficient quantity of full-sized dry facial tissues in a safe, and conveniently located position within the vehicle. The current invention addresses this long felt need by providing a tissue dispenser specifically adapted for placement and storage within cup holder assemblies found in most vehicles.
Cup holder assemblies, also simply referred to herein as cup holders, are commonplace in most vehicles currently available. The majority of these vehicles have more than one cup holder. Cup holders are located throughout the interior passenger compartment of the vehicle for the benefit of not only the driver, but usually each and every passenger. In fact, cup holders are typically found on one or more door panels, along the dashboard, in center consoles, on arm rests, etc., as well as various combinations of these locations.
The following patents teach various kinds of dispensers, usually for pre-moistened towelettes, and the like:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,002 issued on Apr. 12, 1977 to Doyle et al., shows a substantially airtight container for dispensing a perforated wet impregnated tissue like material;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,218 issued on Jan. 1, 1980 to Cox, shows a pre-moistened tissue dispensing container having a molded base and a removable cap;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,129 issued on Aug. 26, 1980 to Sedgwick, shows a moist tissue dispenser in which a constricted orifice seals the container and provides drag so that each moist tissue is separated from the roll in turn;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,493 issued on Jan. 13, 1981 to Harrison shows a dispensing device for pre-moistened towelettes in which the roll is surrounded by a bag, and the towelettes are pulled out of the top of the bag;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,907 issued on May 11, 1982 to Beard, shows a dispensing container with a removable cap for dispensing a linked succession of pre-moistened non-woven fabric wipes;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,180 issued on Oct. 27, 1992 to Zucker, shows a closable dispenser of wet tissues wherein the tissue edge is protected from drying out when not in use;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,632 to Addison et al., shows a dispenser for rolled towel and tissue which includes two separable interfitting elements;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,893 issued on Nov. 21, 1995 to Landis, II et al., shows a storage and dispensing canister for pre-moistened towelettes having a container and a multi-functional cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,514 issued on Oct. 1, 1996 to Frazier, shows a centerflow dispenser for dispensing saturated wipers which has a nozzle with a rotatable dispensing disk;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,634 issued on Nov. 26, 1996 to Morand, shows a dispenser for perforated rolls of paper towelling, which has an opening in the base through which one end of the towelling is passed in the form of a spiral tail;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,353 issued on Feb. 17, 1998 to Kanfer et al., shows a closure assembly for towelette dispensing, having a flange and antirotation tabs;
European Patent Application 0 006 709 to Unilever N.V. shows a closure for a moist tissue dispenser having two superimposed diaphragms with openings completely out of register with the other; and
Japanese Patent Document 4-87967, included for its drawings, shows a towelette dispenser having an apertured top.
However, each of these patents fail to teach a travel facial tissue dispenser/holder adapted for use in cup holders commonly found in most cars, trucks and minivans.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Moreover, none of the above inventions and patents recognizes the problems associated with the storage and dispensing of facial tissues within a safe, convenient, and easy to reach location for vehicular occupants. None of the above inventions and patents show a tissue dispenser specifically designed to fit snugly and securely within the confines of a cup holder commonly found in most vehicles such as cars, minivans and trucks.